Study title

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The study was designed to take an unbiased and comprehensive look at the nature of discrimination against gay men and lesbians in Britain today, through a random sample survey of gays/lesbians and of heterosexuals. There was also a follow-up qualitative study of gays and lesbians, but only data from the random sample survey are held at The Data Archive. This survey is a follow-up to the <i>National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles</i>, held at The Data Archive under SN:3434. The two datasets can be linked via serial number.Main Topics:Key topics covered in this survey were as follows: Main Questionnaire: liberal-authoritarian values; attitudes to women, the family, and abortion; attitudes to premarital, extramarital and homosexual sex; perceived prevalence of and attitudes to discrimination against black people, women, the disabled, and gays and lesbians; attitudes to homosexuals; legality of homosexuality; demographic characteristics. Self-Completion Questionnaire: self-perceived sexual orientation; prevalence and seriousness of discrimination against gays/lesbians. (Gay/lesbian respondents only): whether friends and relatives know respondent is gay/lesbian; age of realising homosexuality; Household and geographic circumstances; experience of discrimination. (Heterosexual respondents only): acceptability of gays/lesbians in various employment; likely reaction to discovering friend/relative is gay/lesbian; whether respondent knows anyone who is gay/lesbian; likely behaviour towards gays/lesbians; understanding of the term `gross indecency'. Measurement scales Attitudes questions (questions 1-3 of main questionnaire) based on <i>British Social Attitudes Survey</i>. Q.12 of main questionnaire has been used to develop an index of prejudice against homosexuals (see Technical Report). Occupations are coded to Socio-Economic Group and Registrar General's Social Class.